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Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Make SURE to reserve a 6 pack or two of the ICONIC 2016 CDP CHATEAU DE BEAUCASTEL on thefutures/1st tranche special pricing, 99/100////YES 99/100 and on the 1st tranche price you can pick up that $100 puppy for $78.95!!! In the TOP 100 WINE SPECTATOR sooooo MANY TIMES, AN IMMORTAL CLASSIC!

Arriving this week , 20x6 packs-wood-at the 1st tranche pricing, 10x6 packs committed already, 99/100 CH DE BEAUCASTEL CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE, KING OF CDPs, $78.95! That IS "CHEAP" FOR A 99/100 RATED KING OF CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE FROM the ICONIC PERRIN FAMILY!!!

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Well, Happy Holidays, enjoy your weekend, and NOT MUCH ELSE TO SAY ABOUT THIS ICON, the critics said it ALL and ALL AGREED THIS IS THE BEST OF THE BEST, current vintage is 2010, 2008 will arrive Monday -LIBRARY COLLECTION-was held back10 years before release,A FIRST,$269/btl. a MUST HAVE! READ ON...We have 8x6 packs of the 2008 reserved...4X6 PACKS NOT SPOKEN FOR AT THIS TIME...OULALA!

Whenever Sir Winston Churchill, one of my all time mentor, was asked why he preferred Champagne, he would reply "I am easily pleased with the best."

Champagne has enjoyed its reputation as a quality wine and as an exclusive luxury for centuries

Winemaker Notes

Cristal is Louis Roederer's flagship cuvée. It was created in 1876 and is composed of Grand Crus from the Montagne de Reims, the Marne Valley and the Côte des Blancs. Cristal 2008 was bottle-aged for 8 years before being left to rest for at least 8 months after disgorging in order to attain perfect maturity.

Amber hue with green and orange tints. Fine, even and lively sparkle. Complex and intense bouquet disclosing candied citrus, yellow fruit, Williams pear, pollen, and toasted almond. The delicately seductive bouquet shows intensity and well-honed precision. The wine is powerful, full yet tight, on entry to the palate. The 2008 is undeniably well structured but in a particular way: the wine's almost saline concentration has not been created by the sun, but is derived from the dryness of the chalk soil in a particularly cool summer. The result is a smooth, almost liquorous, mouthfeel that coats the palate with a powerful yet soft texture. This gives way to an incredible finish, underpinned by freshness and an impression of absolute purity with a taut and very saline character. The Cristal 2008 is deep, intense and masterful. It offers the quintessential reflection of its chalk soils which lend it is velvety texture and delicate tension. This wine's energy has been tamed by an unusually long period of bottle ageing: Cristal 2008 was in fact aged for 10 years before its release on the market. A first!

Blend: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay

Critical Acclaim

WE100

Wine Enthusiast

This latest incarnation of the famous brand isa superb wine. It is on par with, maybe even better than, the already legendary 2002. Its balance is impeccable: Apple and citrus flavors working with the tight minerality to give a textured yet fruity wine. Produced from Roederer's own vineyards which are mainly biodynamic, the wine has its own intense purity and crispness. It has amazing potential and is likely to age for many years. Drink from 2020. Cellar Selection

JS100

James Suckling

Disgorged October 2016 and will be the first Cristal to be released ten years from harvest when it is offered in 2018. 35 parcels used from a possible 45 in this vintage. The assemblage is 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay. This is so fresh and tense and mineral with extremely exuberant chardonnay notes on the nose of white peach, lemon and yellow grapefruit, and hints of almost brambly sous bois aromas. The yeast characters are also super fresh, and there are subtle woody notes, with a hint of vanilla bean and light spices. The palate is super long, and very pure, powerful and focused. It drives deep and taut. Pinot noir is a strong core and the chardonnay sits at the edge offering lemon and white nectarine sorbet flavors. Staggeringly concentrated, yet the balance makes it seem airy and light. Acidity is perfectly positioned, and the power is intense and long. This is an ultra precise Cristal, finishing with a mere suggestion of savoriness and warmth to come. Impressive on release, this will be at its best drinking from 2025.

D98

Decanter

Cristal 2008 is on a roll to yet higher levels of exquisite purity and precision of fruit in a paradoxical balance of weightlessness and depth of flavour, permeated with minerals and a salinity reflecting the greatest terroirs of the Roederer estate. Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon believes that2008 is his best effort to date, and it's easy to see why. It's from a cooler, maritime vintage that came right in the end, with one of the longest harvests ever, running from mid-September to early October. The colour is a stylish pale gold flecked with green. Aromas of white flowers are joined by a cleansing citrus vigour and richer tones of peach and mirabelle. The palate is still quiet, but a tender creaminnes shows through, and there's so much concentration to come if you drink if after 2021. The greatness of the wine owes everything to the influence of organic and biodynamic precepts in the field - and Lecaillon's sleepless perfectionism in the cellar towards finer fruit and a careful brake on too much yeasty expression. The acidity is vibrant but better integrated in the 2008 than in the 1996. Magnificent. Dosage 7.7g/l. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040

WS97

Wine Spectator

This expresses a sense of focus and vibrancy to the overall structure, while the palate is all grace and charm. A fine, lacy texture carries a tapestry of ripe white cherry, toast point, blood orange zest, honey and ground ginger notes, with a minerally, mouthwatering finish. A stunning Champagne with a long future ahead of it.

RP97+

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Let's start describing the 2008 Cristal technically first. It is a 60/40 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from 36 plots in seven grands crus: Verzy, Verzenay, Beaumont and Aÿ for the Pinot Noir and Mesnil, Avize and Cramant for the Chardonnay. Twenty-five percent of the wine was fermented in oak, and 16% underwent malolactic fermentation to moderate the fresh acidity of the 2008 vintage. The assemblage was bottled in May 2009. After 8.5 years on the second lees (longer than any Cristal before), the first release was disgorged in September 2017 with a relatively low dosage of 7.5 grams per liter. Rating: 97+

As the flavors gradually broaden, nuances of tobacco leaves and spices emerge. There is a precision and elegance to this vintage, which finishes with freshness due to the balanced natural acidity. Expect beautiful development as this wine matures.

Critical Acclaim

JS97+/100

James Suckling

An aromatic and complex red with currant, white-chocolate and rose-petal character. Full-bodied, tight and polished. Fine and long. Beautiful now but will improve in time and get even better, if that is possible. -9/17.

Tasting Notes

Captivating and complex, the 2013 Rubicon boasts very pronounced dark fruit with aromas of currants, black cherries, blackberries, cinnamon, floral notes and the freshness of thyme and other sweet herbs. The palate shows great volume and nicely integrated flavors, fine grained tannins and subtle oak that works beautifully with the fruit.

it's safe to say this is potentially thebest Rubicon made to date. It's not to denigrate other vintages, but there is a finesse and elegance combined with great richness

Personally chosen by Francis Ford Coppola, renowned French winemaker Philippe Bascaules came to Napa from the legendary Château Margaux, in 2011 to become Managing Director & Winemaker of thegreat and LEGENDARY (founded139years ago) American wine estate, Inglenook

Critical Acclaim

WE96

Wine Enthusiast

This dark and brooding wine is packed with dense tannins and a black plum-skin flavor that's hovering behind the density. The wine has power and fine concentration, yielding a complex, solid wine with aging ability. Drink 2018-2032+

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Winemaker Notes

Blend: 59% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon

Critical Acclaim

WE96

Wine Enthusiast

This dark and brooding wine is packed with dense tannins and a black plum-skin flavor that's hovering behind the density. The wine has power and fine concentration, yielding a complex, solid wine with aging ability. Barrel Sample: 94-96

WW92

Wilfred Wong of Wine.com

The 2014Château de France gets the prize for being one of the best values of the vintage. The wine shows lively and persistent red fruit flavors. Bright and sassy on the palate, it shows excellent freshness in the finish. Serve now with lightly-seasoned lamb chops. Drink it now and for the next 15 years (Tasted: January 27, 2017, San Francisco, CA)

Friday, August 10, 2018

Thank you very much for your business, you might also want a case of 2015 ANGEL DE LARRAINZAR from Navarra, a gorgeous guzzler and INCREDIBLE BARGAIN from Spain, gold medal winners, 90/100 to 94/100 and only $12.95, will be advertised NEXT WEEK, 50% cab 50% garnacha, another SPANISH steal!$12.95/BTL....WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

"a tasty, full bodied wine that gives great pleasure"

OLE!

OLIVER and MONICA RESSEL/

GRAPE WINE COMPANY 210-828-2222

Enjoy your weekend and pray for rain.

PS: The rich tasty Spanish fare in the pic below and above IS THE PREFECT COMPANION TO THIS GORGEOUS RICH TASTY RED! Forget the light salads for this BIG BOY and LET IT BREATHE A GOOD 30-40 MINUTES IN THE GLASS..Perfecto!

Perfect classic-DAN AND MARGARET DUCKHORN pioneered the CONCEPT OF HIGH END NAPA SAUVIGNON BLANC back in 1982 when nobody made S Blanc in Napa nor Cali. for that matter. This IS the perfect super high end Napa white that manages-YEAR after YEAR- to COMBINE POWER and FINESSE!

Read on, then drink it and BEAT THE HEAT:

Winemaker Notes

Enticing aromas of grapefruit, melon, and lime leap from the glass, followed by tropical notes of lychee, pineapple, and passionfruit. On the palate, this Sauvignon Blanc is juicy and bright, with silky layers of fruit balanced by lovely natural acidity and a vibrant streak of minerality. Hints of zesty citrus and subtle baking spices linger throughout a long, focused finish.

Blend: 82% Sauvignon Blanc, 18% Semillon

Critical Acclaim

WW93

Wilfred Wong of Wine.com

COMMENTARY: The Duckhorn Vineyards Sauvignon Blancfirst produced in 1982has a long-standing history of being the standard by which all others are judged against. This wine has been remarkable and consistent. The recently released 2017 is another excellent effort. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright and juicy with dried citrus and tropical fruit aromas and flavors. Its layered palate and long finish should wrap nicely around a lemon-accented and herb dusted roast chicken and make a tremendously good pairing. (Tasted: May 1, 2018, San Francisco, CA)

WS90

Wine Spectator

Elegant peach, melon and citrus flavors are juicy and plump, with a pretty floral vein and a sleek, crisp frame. A note of lemon verbena lingers.

Co-founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976, Duckhorn Vineyards has spent almost forty years establishing itself as one of North America's premier producers of Napa Valley wines. From its modest inaugural vintage of 800 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and 800 cases of Merlot in 1978 to its addition of Sauvignon Blanc in 1982, Duckhorn Vineyards has crafted a tradition of quality and excellence that continues today.

Critical Acclaim

WE96

Wine Enthusiast

This dark and brooding wine is packed with dense tannins and a black plum-skin flavor that's hovering behind the density. The wine has power and fine concentration, yielding a complex, solid wine with aging ability. Drink 2019-2032+

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Winemaker Notes

Blend: 59% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon

Critical Acclaim

WE96

Wine Enthusiast

This dark and brooding wine is packed with dense tannins and a black plum-skin flavor that's hovering behind the density. The wine has power and fine concentration, yielding a complex, solid wine with aging ability. Barrel Sample: 94-96

WW92

Wilfred Wong of Wine.com

The 2014Château de France gets the prize for being one of the best values of the vintage. The wine shows lively and persistent red fruit flavors. Bright and sassy on the palate, it shows excellent freshness in the finish. Serve now with lightly-seasoned lamb chops. Drink it now and for the next 15 years (Tasted: January 27, 2017, San Francisco, CA)

Monday, July 23, 2018

Perfect to beat the INSANE HEAT 106today!!! ONE FRENCH-PROVENCE ROSE, ONE FRENCH WHITE BORDEAUX, ONE FRENCH WHITE BURGUNDY, ALL THREE GORGEOUS, DRY, CRISP AND CLEAN TO BEAT THE HEAT, it's even TOO HOT for the snakes!

WINE#1)

Enjoy Summer, JUST RELEASED, their NEW and SPECTACULAR 2017 vintage:

2017 FABRE DE PROVENCE-Rose, this IS the BEST ROSE under $15 that we have tasted in a LONG TIME and the label/bottle is cool/unique too we ALWAYS keep not just ONE-but TWO bottles in the fridge by the pool on Sundays...SEE PICS BY OUR POOL, WE DO PRACTICE WHAT WE "PREACH" at Chateau RESSEL---so dry, crisp, clean and SUPER refreshing, yum!

The Grape Wine Company Sale Price $14.95

Fabre en Provence, Didier Mauduet, expert wine maker.

t.

Didier Mauduet.

No pesticides.No irrigation.Most parcels are hand-harvested.

Fabre en Provence was created in 1920 by Henri Fabre Sr. in the village of Besse sur Issole. At that time the company was already selling wine from Provence and the best of France,

hand selected from our ancestor. He quickly became the largest producer in the South of France. After the acquisition of Château de la Clapière in 1928 and Château de L'Aumérade in

1932, Henri Fabre Senior devoted himself exclusively to his wineries.

He was one of the first to own a bottling line and working for the recognition of Côtes de Provence. His son Louis Fabre joined him in the 50's and helped develop the business in

France and abroad. While Maison Fabre had been put on standby, Louis Fabre and Henri Fabre Junior decided to revive the company by modernizing the distribution channel, and

focusing on providing service and quality to their customers.

Wine Maker Notes:

Pale pink. Aromas and flavors of pink grapefruit, redcurrant and white pepper show very good clarity and energy. Concentrated flavors of a Syrah, Cinsault and Grenache-SAME GRAPES AS CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE-, with a nervy acid structure providing weight,shape and lift. Finishes taut and minerality, with an echo of red berries.TRULY A RED WINE DRINKER'S ROSE!

Classic French white Bordeaux: CHATEAU BOISSON WHITE BORDEAUX 2016 $14.95, Boisson means drink in French. Also proudly received a SILVER NEDAL at the LYON-FRANCE-international wine competition, a big deal since Lyon is the third largest city in France and many-MANY-European wineries compete there for a medal (which is on the label of CH. BOISSON).

80% Sauvignon Blanc 10% Semillon 10%Muscadelle

WOW -$14.95/BTL.!!!!

At Grape Wine Company we are always on the lookout for an exceptional White Bordeaux and we have found another one yet again and again and it keeps getting sold out each time -IMMEDIATELY- as soon as it "lands" here, OFTEN we go for many months without having it in the warehouse.

From the southern region of Bordeaux where the clay-limestone soil is ideal to produce world renowned Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.This is a well-rounded wine with delightful volume, richness and yet is still crisp and super clean.There are pleasant notes of white daisies on the nose with the presence of lime and grapefruit on the palate.There is a hint of smokiness on the finish due to the Semillon. It is a delightful classy drink for both light meals and casual sipping..perfect for parties too, WE ALWAYS KEEP TWO BOTTLES, NOT JUST ONE, IN THE FRIDGE BY THE POOL , FOR REAL, just like the Provence rose!

A favorite at Chateau Resselwith cold refreshing ceviche or salade nicoise or shrimp cocktail! Basically a VERY DANGEROUS wine!

Expect a beautiful complex aromatic nose of almond and hazelnuts with a touch of honeysuckle. Medium to full-bodied with satiny texture, this wine is rich, packed with spiced pears and tangy minerals. Its long, supple finish displays additional layers of sweet ripe apples, butter and a hint of oak. Drink 2018-2028

Winemaker Notes

A refined, fruity yet dry, crisp round wine that can be enjoyed as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to charcuterie, chicken and grilled fish. Delicious with creamy cheeses A great wine to enjoy with friends.